Featured image above: Department
of Defence and Raytheon Australia representatives in attendance during contract
signature for the Short Range Ground Based Air Defence project Risk Mitigation
Activity, at Victoria Barracks Melbourne. Credit: Commonwealth of Australia,
Department of Defence
Australia’s Minister for Defence Industry, the Hon
Christopher Pyne MP, today announced
that a AU$12.1 million contract has been signed with Raytheon Australia for the
first stage of the Short Range Ground Based Air Defence project, which is worth
up to AU$2 billion.
“This will include Risk Mitigation Activities to inform the final system
configuration, which will create up to 10 new jobs,” said Minister Pyne.
“The year-long Risk Mitigation Activity will examine the
system’s use in an Australian context.”
“The Government has committed to the highly successful National
Advanced Surface to Air Missile System (NASAMS), which will be adapted to
Australian requirements.”
“Importantly, this work will investigate potential
capability enhancements to inform the NASAMS’s final system configuration,
including integration with existing Australian Defence Force equipment.”
“This will include integration testing with CEA
Technologies’ phased array radar system and Thales Australia’s Hawkei and
Bushmaster protected mobility vehicles.”
“The Short Range Ground Based Air Defence system will
provide the inner most layer of Australia’s enhanced integrated air and missile
defence capability, operated by Army’s 16th Air Land Regiment.”
Australian Defence will use Raytheon’s work to complete a
detailed analysis prior to returning to Government for final consideration in
2019.
